The Grants & Procurement Unit is responsible for identifying and pursuing grants and other funding opportunities from philanthropic foundations and government sources. Decisions to pursue specific grant and funding opportunities are based on a series of criteria, including:

• Alignment and consistency with the grant-maker’s requirements and the goals of DBH/MRS
• Targeting of a specific population group or treatment modality
• Consistency with a recovery- and resilience-based system of care

In order to have a broader impact on enhancing the behavioral health system in Philadelphia, the Grants and Procurement Unit has developed a strategy to improve its grants process and funding objectives. These include:

• Identification of priority program areas that will be targeted for grants in a specific time frame (e.g., during a calendar year)
• Determination of the internal model to be used in the pursuit of grants
• Collaboration with provider agencies and other components of government to enhance funding prospects

RFP Supervision

In addition to grants responsibilities, the Unit also has oversight of the Request for Proposal (RFP) process.  Once the document has been developed, reviewed, and approved internally, the Grants and Procurement Unit manages the process for issuing the RFP. The primary activities include:

• Coordination of bidders' conferences
• Responding to questions related to the RFP
• Certifying receipt of RFP submissions
• Assuring that all aspects of the proposal review process are in place